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Panza E, Meyyazhagan A, Orlacchio A. Hereditary spastic paraplegia: Genetic heterogeneity and common pathways. Exp Neurol 2022; 357:114203. [PMID: 35970204 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias (HSPs) are a heterogeneous group of disease, mainly characterized by progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs resulting from distal degeneration of corticospinal tract axons. Although HSPs represent rare or ultra-rare conditions, with reported cases of mutated genes found in single families, overall, with 87 forms described, they are an important health and economic problem for society and patients. In fact, they are chronic and life-hindering conditions, still lacking a specific therapy. Notwithstanding the number of forms described, and 73 causative genes identified, overall, the molecular diagnostic rate varies among 29% to 61.8%, based on recent published analysis, suggesting that more genes are involved in HSP and/or that different molecular diagnostic approaches are necessary. The accumulating data in this field highlight several peculiar features of HSPs, such as genetic heterogeneity, the discovery that different mutations in a single gene can be transmitted in dominant and recessive trait in families and allelic heterogeneity, resulting in the involvement of HSP-genes in other conditions. Based on the observation of protein functions, the activity of many different proteins encoded by HSP-related genes converges into some distinct pathophysiological mechanisms. This suggests that common pathways could be a potential target for a therapy, possibly addressing several forms at once. Furthermore, the overlap of HSP genes with other neurological conditions can further expand this concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Panza
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Arun Meyyazhagan
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Antonio Orlacchio
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy; Laboratorio di Neurogenetica, Centro Europeo di Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
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Curiel J, Rodríguez Bey G, Takanohashi A, Bugiani M, Fu X, Wolf NI, Nmezi B, Schiffmann R, Bugaighis M, Pierson T, Helman G, Simons C, van der Knaap MS, Liu J, Padiath Q, Vanderver A. TUBB4A mutations result in specific neuronal and oligodendrocytic defects that closely match clinically distinct phenotypes. Hum Mol Genet 2018; 26:4506-4518. [PMID: 28973395 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypomyelinating leukodystrophies are heritable disorders defined by lack of development of brain myelin, but the cellular mechanisms of hypomyelination are often poorly understood. Mutations in TUBB4A, encoding the tubulin isoform tubulin beta class IVA (Tubb4a), result in the symptom complex of hypomyelination with atrophy of basal ganglia and cerebellum (H-ABC). Additionally, TUBB4A mutations are known to result in a broad phenotypic spectrum, ranging from primary dystonia (DYT4), isolated hypomyelination with spastic quadriplegia, and an infantile onset encephalopathy, suggesting multiple cell types may be involved. We present a study of the cellular effects of TUBB4A mutations responsible for H-ABC (p.Asp249Asn), DYT4 (p.Arg2Gly), a severe combined phenotype with hypomyelination and encephalopathy (p.Asn414Lys), as well as milder phenotypes causing isolated hypomyelination (p.Val255Ile and p.Arg282Pro). We used a combination of histopathological, biochemical and cellular approaches to determine how these different mutations may have variable cellular effects in neurons and/or oligodendrocytes. Our results demonstrate that specific mutations lead to either purely neuronal, combined neuronal and oligodendrocytic or purely oligodendrocytic defects that closely match their respective clinical phenotypes. Thus, the DYT4 mutation that leads to phenotypes attributable to neuronal dysfunction results in altered neuronal morphology, but with unchanged tubulin quantity and polymerization, with normal oligodendrocyte morphology and myelin gene expression. Conversely, mutations associated with isolated hypomyelination (p.Val255Ile and p.Arg282Pro) and the severe combined phenotype (p.Asn414Lys) resulted in normal neuronal morphology but were associated with altered oligodendrocyte morphology, myelin gene expression, and microtubule dysfunction. The H-ABC mutation (p.Asp249Asn) that exhibits a combined neuronal and myelin phenotype had overlapping cellular defects involving both neuronal and oligodendrocyte cell types in vitro. Only mutations causing hypomyelination phenotypes showed altered microtubule dynamics and acted through a dominant toxic gain of function mechanism. The DYT4 mutation had no impact on microtubule dynamics suggesting a distinct mechanism of action. In summary, the different clinical phenotypes associated with TUBB4A reflect the selective and specific cellular effects of the causative mutations. Cellular specificity of disease pathogenesis is relevant to developing targeted treatments for this disabling condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Curiel
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Health System, Children's Research Institute, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | | | - Asako Takanohashi
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Health System, Children's Research Institute, Washington, DC 20010, USA.,Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Xiaoqin Fu
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Health System, Children's Research Institute, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Nicole I Wolf
- VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bruce Nmezi
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Raphael Schiffmann
- Institute of Metabolic Disease, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Dallas, TX 75204, USA
| | - Mona Bugaighis
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Health System, Children's Research Institute, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Tyler Pierson
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Cedar Sinai Medical Center, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Guy Helman
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Health System, Children's Research Institute, Washington, DC 20010, USA.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Cas Simons
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Judy Liu
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Health System, Children's Research Institute, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Quasar Padiath
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Adeline Vanderver
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Health System, Children's Research Institute, Washington, DC 20010, USA.,Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Neurology, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC 20010, USA.,Perlman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Nicita F, Bertini E, Travaglini L, Armando M, Aiello C. Congenital-onset spastic paraplegia in a patient with TUBB4A mutation and mild hypomyelination. J Neurol Sci 2016; 368:145-6. [PMID: 27538619 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2016.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Nicita
- Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Bambino Gesù Children's Research Hospital, Rome, Italy; Child neurology division, Department of Pediatrics and Child Neuropsychiatry, Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
| | - Enrico Bertini
- Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Bambino Gesù Children's Research Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorena Travaglini
- Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Bambino Gesù Children's Research Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Michelina Armando
- MARlab (Movement Analysis and Robotics Laboratory), Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Italy
| | - Chiara Aiello
- Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Bambino Gesù Children's Research Hospital, Rome, Italy
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